Firm sues Chinese Embassy and daily over Falun Gong report

A US-based satellite television company, New Tang Dynasty, today filed a defamation suit for RM100 million against an officer of the Chinese Embassy here and a publisher of a local Chinese daily over a report linking it to the Falun Gong movement. (Falun Gong, which originated in China, had been denounced by the Chinese authorities as an evil cult.)

The suit, which named enmbassy media officer Sun Xiang Yang as the first defendant and Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd as the second defendant, was filed at the High Court civil registry at Wisma Denmark today.

In its statement of claim, NTD said Sun issued a Press statement about the company on Feb 17, which was published in the Sin Chew Daily the following day.

NTD claimed that the article, which could also be viewed on the internet through Sin Chew’s website, was published mala fide.

It claimed the article gave the impression that the company, among others, supported deviationist teachings and extremism, had cheated and betrayed the Chinese community, and was against the Chinese Government.

NTD said that the publication of the article had injured its reputation and that the company had been brought into public and international scandal and was shunned by the Chinese community.

It claimed that Sin Chew Media Corporation failed to obtain its comment or confirmation before publishing the article.